A grand jury returned an indictment charging Marcia A. Sweeney, age 44, of
Painesville, Ohio, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one
count of aggravated identity theft, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States
Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that between October 7, 2010 through on or about
November 24, 2010, Sweeney—with the aid of a prisoner held in the Lake County
Jail—devised a scheme to defraud multiple victims by submitting false
information and/or making fraudulent representations to open new credit card
accounts; add individuals as authorized users to pre-existing credit card
accounts; and purchase goods and services from victim retailers including, but
not limited to, J.C. Penney, AT&T Wireless, Capital One Bank, and First
Premier Bank.
The indictment further alleges that on or about October 12, 2010, Sweeney
knowingly transferred, possessed, and used the identification of another
individual without lawful authority.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after
review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal
record, if any; the defendant’s role in the offense; and the characteristics of
the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum,
and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Kall,
following investigation by the Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is
entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove
guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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